Brain stimulation

Abstract

A therapeutic brain stimulation system comprises at least two stimulation signal emitters generating stimulation signals from different positions towards a common target region in a patient's brain. While the signal intensity of each stimulation signal is much too low to cause stimulation, the accumulated stimulation signals cause a stimulation and, thus, a therapeutic effect in the neuronal brain cells of the target region. The stimulation signals accumulating in the target region are adjustable so as not to negatively affect the anatomic structure of neuronal brain cells in the target region.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A therapeutic brain stimulation system, comprising at least two and preferably three or more stimulation signal emitters adapted to generate stimulating signals which in combination allow for wireless stimulation of neuronal cells in a patient's brain, wherein said signal emitters are arranged or adapted to be arranged such that their individual stimulating signals can be emitted from different positions towards a common target region in a patient's brain so as to provide an accumulated stimulating effect on said target region, and wherein the signal emitters are adjustable such that the stimulation signals accumulating in the target region do not negatively affect the anatomic structure of neuronal brain cells in said target region, wherein the signal emitters are adapted to be fixed in cranial bone structure, so as to penetrate only the hard outer layer thereof or so as to completely penetrate the cranial bone structure, wherein each of the signal emitters is contained in a mounting tube with one or more screw threads provided on an outer surface of the mounting tube for fixation in cranial bone structure. 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to emit the individual stimulation signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation comprising one or more of the following: light waves with a wavelength in the range between infrared and ultraviolet, waves with a wavelength longer than infrared light, and microwaves. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the individual stimulation signals emitted by the signal emitters are emitted in the form of beams, said beams being directed or directable to cross each other in the target region. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , further comprising focusing devices for focusing the beams onto the target region. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to emit the individual stimulation signals in the form of sound waves. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to emit the individual stimulation signals in the form of electromagnetic fields. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitter comprises a helical winding around a symmetry axis adapted to be directed through said target region. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the signal emitter inside the mounting tube is adjustable. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , comprising at least one position adjusting motor for each of the signal emitters for individually adjusting the signal emitters relative to a target to be stimulated. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein each of said at least one position adjusting motor includes a position sensor adapted to provide position information to a control unit. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a position controller adapted to control the adjustment of the positions of the signal emitters relative to a target region to be stimulated. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a control unit, and wherein the control unit includes a signal emission controller for controlling the generation of stimulating signals emitted by the signal emitters, and wherein the signal emission controller is adapted to control one or more of the following parameters of the emitted stimulating signals: timing, sequence, intensity, frequency, duration. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12  further comprising a physical parameter sensor for sensing a physical parameter of the patient, wherein said signal emission controller is adapted to control the adjustment of the stimulating signal in response to a sensor signal of the physical parameter sensor. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 12  further comprising a functional parameter sensor for sensing a functional parameter of the system, wherein said signal emission controller is adapted to control the adjustment of the stimulating signal in response to a sensor signal of the functional parameter sensor. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the signal emission controller comprises a manually operable switch for turning on and off the system, said switch being adapted for subcutaneous implantation so as to be manually operable from outside the patient's body. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the signal emission controller is adapted to control sequential stimulation of different target region areas, or wherein the signal emission controller is adapted to shift over time the stimulation from one of the target region areas to another one of the target region areas. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the signal emission controller is adapted to control emission of the stimulation signals in the form of pulse trains such that at least a first area and a second area of the target region areas are repeatedly stimulated with a first pulse train and a second pulse train, respectively, with said first and second pulse trains being shifted over time relative to each other. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the signal emission controller is adapted to control emission of the stimulating signals in the form of pulse trains so as to vary one or more of the following: the amplitudes of the pulses of the pulse trains, the off time periods between the pulses of the pulse trains, the frequency of said pulse trains, the frequency of the pulses within the pulse trains, the width of the pulses of the pulse trains, the off time periods between the pulse trains, the length of each pulse train, and the number of pulses of the pulse trains. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a control unit, and wherein the control unit comprises a first part adapted to be mounted to the patient's cranium along with the signal emitters and a second part for remote communication with the first part, and wherein the second part of the control unit is adapted to wirelessly transmit control signals to the first part of the control unit. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one energy transformer connected to the signal emitters for transforming wireless energy into electric energy and for supplying the electric energy directly or indirectly to the signal emitters, and an energy transmitter for wirelessly transmitting energy to the at least one energy transformer. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a catalyst for implantation inside the patient's brain, wherein the catalyst comprises a piece of metal. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters ( 1 ) are arranged or arrangeable at an equal distance from the target region. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters ( 1 ) are arranged or arrangeable at a phase-correct distance relative to the target region. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the signal emitters ( 1 ) are adjusted or adjustable so that their respective electromagnetic fields overlap each other with collinear induced current directions in the target region ( 4 ). 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to emit the individual stimulation signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to emit the individual stimulation signals in the form of electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength longer than infrared light. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal emitters are adapted to be implanted so as not to penetrate the skin after implantation. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the orientation of the signal emitter inside the mounting tube is adjustable and wherein the signal emitters are adapted to be implanted so as not to penetrate the skin after implantation. 
     
     
       29. A method of mounting a therapeutic brain stimulation system, onto a patient's head, the method comprising the steps of:
 cutting the patient's skin at two or more different positions above the patient's cranial bone structure adjacent the patient's brain, 
 attaching a signal emitter to the patient's cranium, directly or indirectly, at each of the different positions, said signal emitters being adapted to generate stimulating signals which in combination allow for wireless stimulation of neuronal cells in the patient's brain, and 
 adjusting said signal emitters such that their individual stimulating signals are emitted from said different positions towards a common target region in the patient's brain so as to provide an accumulated stimulating effect on that target region, said accumulated stimulating effect on the target region being adjusted so as not to negatively affect the anatomic structure of neuronal brain cells 
 wherein the step of attaching the signal emitters to the patient's cranium includes fixing the signal emitters in the cranial bone structure so as to penetrate only the hard outer layer thereof, or fixing the signal emitters in cranial bone structure so as to completely penetrate the cranial bone structure without penetrating into the dura mater of the brain 
 wherein the signal emitters comprise one or more screw threads and the step of permanently mounting the signal emitters to the patient's cranium includes screwing the signal emitters in the cranial bone structure, and wherein each of the signal emitters is contained in a mounting tube with the screw threads provided on an outer surface of the mounting tube. 
 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29  further comprising the step of placing in the target region a piece of material as a catalyst which causes an increased accumulated stimulation in the target region. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 29 , comprising the steps of; implanting the signal emitters not penetrating the skin ( 1 ) after implantation.